


A Truth Universally Acknowledged

by Pride_And_Prejudice_In_Space



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, I wish we did though, Jane Austen - Freeform, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, POV has changed, Reylo - Freeform, Screw Wyoming, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, basically everyone is in on Leia's plan, but that's just because we don't have lightsabers in the real world, community theater au, leia organa is scheming, minor finnrose, minor gingerpilot, my friends have requested that Ben Solo basically be allergic to shirts, pride and prejudice - Freeform, slowly going through rewrites, they're snarkier than in canon, who am I to refuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-04-21 23:48:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14296110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pride_And_Prejudice_In_Space/pseuds/Pride_And_Prejudice_In_Space
Summary: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.Rey Jakku is mechanic who has gotten herself involved in a community theatre group in a small town. She's done it for fun in that past, but this year is different. This year, Leia Organa has dragged her professional actor son into it. He's a pompous ass who would rather be anywhere but here, and he and Rey instantly butt heads. Leia thinks that it's perfect, exactly what they need in their Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy.





	1. The Proudest, Most Disagreeable Man

**Author's Note:**

> High school felt too young, and college didn't feel quite right. So, it's a community theatre AU. I am changing ages slightly. Rey is 21, Ben is 26. I don't have an issue with their canon ages, but this is the real world and people would get suspicious of a 29-year-old dating a 19-year-old irl. Hell, I got suspicious my senior year of high school of a senior dating a sophomore (keep in mind sophomores were the youngest grade at this school).  
> Look, I'm a sucker for Pride and Prejudice, you know if you couldn't figure that out by my pseud. I also debated doing Beauty and the Beast.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/156607341@N05/41762497091/in/dateposted-public/)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a theatre group putting on _Pride and Prejudice_ must be in want of a Darcy.

Rey Jakku has been in many strange and often awkward situations in her life. She’s played Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, in a show that included many people in morph suits pretending to be frogs. She was Witch #2 in _Macbeth_.

However, none of these things are nearly as awkward as meeting Ben Solo, son of Leia Organa-Solo and Han Solo, for the first time. It certainly doesn’t help that before the meeting, she as well as everyone else overheard a conversation between him and his mother about how much he doesn’t want to be here.

“Ben, this is Rey Jakku. She’s going to be playing Elizabeth.” Leia Organa-Solo is the most elegant person that Rey has ever met. She’s pretty sure that Leia was a Queen or some other royalty in a past life. Her graying hair is always immaculate, she’s the best-dressed person in town, and despite her height commands the presence of a giant. Which, Rey’s pretty certain helped with her son because he is a literal giant. He’s like 6’2” or 6’3” (Rey’s proud of herself and her ability to estimate the size of things in feet and inches now because feet and inches make literally zero sense).

“It’s nice to meet you, Ben, your parents, and uncle have told us a lot about you.” His hair is shoulder length and extremely dark as well as well-styled because of course, they are.

“Likewise, Ms. Jakku.” Ben Solo’s hand is large and warm in hers despite how cold his words are. His eyes he got from his mother, but where hers are generally filled with warmth and exasperation at someone (generally Han and/or Luke) doing something stupid, his are…empty. Just dark. It almost feels wrong, like it’s a lie. He’s an actor, of course, it’s probably a lie, better nothing than malice. His arm brushes her shoulder as he walks past for his mother to introduce him to the rest of the group, but he seems determined to make as little physical contact with everyone else as possible.

“Don’t worry, kid. He’s never been very good at introductions.” Han places one hand on her shoulder and watches his son stiffly shake everyone else’s hands. “Or socializing period.”

“Oh, good, then he’ll make a perfect Darcy.” Rey rolls her eyes and watches Sunny enthusiastically introduce herself to Ben Solo.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, I haven’t read the book and don’t plan to,” Han admits. “I don’t know what the Hell Darcy is like. Don’t tell Leia.”

“I heard that,” Leia yells from across the room.

“I swear that woman has Superman hearing.”

“I heard that, too.”

“I’m gonna go, Chewie needs me in the shop.” Han starts backing out of the room. “Good luck everyone, don’t kill each other.”

“Bye Han.” Basically, everyone calls as he all but runs out the door.

“Wait, Rey, come over here.” Leia starts searching through her bag. “I need a picture.”

“Do you have to take a picture of literally everything?” Ben sighs.

“Yes, I do.” Leia finally pulls out her digital camera. “Finn, Rose, you’re next. Alright, Ben, Rey, stand next to each other.” By next to each other, Ben seems to hope she means “have a six-inch buffer in-between”. “Oh come on, you’re both adults, girls don’t have cooties.”

“I know, mother.”

“I remember a time when you-”

“Mom!”

“Oh don’t worry, she’s already told us all the gory details of your birth.” Poe teases. It’s not actually a lie. Leia gave a big talk last year to the adults about safe sex because of the blowjobs in the supply closet and tried to scare the young women with the horrors of childbirth. It worked. Ben’s face somehow gets even paler, and Rey would pay any amount of money to immortalize that look of utter horror.

“You better get used to that sort of humor, that’s just about the only sort this group knows,” Leia tells him. Ben Solo might have had some vague idea of how much he was going to hate this, but clearly, it has not donned on him just how much until this moment.

“Alright, everybody grab a chair and make a circle,” Luke demands, entering the room ten minutes late with a green latte. Heads all whip around to the older man, suddenly snapped out of whatever that was. “What did I miss?”

-oOo-

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Ben more recites than reads. He’s had the script memorized for a month, but…well he already looks like a pompous ass, not needing the script when everyone else does probably wouldn’t help that. He continues on about how much Lizzie’s family sucks before Rey replies.

“In such cases as this, it is, I believe, the established mode to express a sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed, however unequally they may be returned. It is natural that obligation should be felt, and if I could  _feel_  gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannot—I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly. I am sorry to have occasioned pain to anyone. It has been most unconsciously done, however, and I hope will be of short duration. The feelings which, you tell me, have long prevented the acknowledgment of your regard, can have little difficulty in overcoming it after this explanation.”  She reads the words like she’s known them for years, maybe she has, or, more than likely, her accent just makes it seem as though she has. He and Rey banter back and forth about how much they both suck before Leia claps her hands together to get everyone’s attention.

“That’s the end of Act One. There will be a fifteen-minute intermission. For now, five-minute break.” Luke announces. One of the men…Poe (Ben thinks) dashes to the bathroom, knocking over three chairs and almost knocking over two more and a teenage girl in the process. “You’re going to be picking those up when you get back!”

Most everyone stands up and stretches or talks or moves around in some way, but Ben remains still only moving to grab his phone to avoid making awkward eye contact with anyone. Gwendoline Phasma (he remembers that one because what the fuck kind of name is Phasma) sits on his right, an extremely tall blonde woman somewhere around his age. She could probably beat him in a fight. She could probably beat anyone in a fight. On his other side is Hux, a Julliard drop out that he had like one class with years ago who is apparently dating the guy who just almost ran over a teenager. How Hux convinced literally anyone to date him is beyond Ben’s comprehension, and he’s pretty sure that black magic was somehow involved.

“So, what are you thinking about?” Rose – maybe – girl playing Jane – asks Rey.

“Nothing really, you?”

“Oh, so you’re not thinking about your literal Mr. Darcy?” _Don’t look up, Ben, don’t look up, don’t blush, don’t react._

“No, I’m not.” _Of course, she isn’t_ , Ben seethes, _you’ve barely said three words to her._

“Well, they certainly are.” _Don’t look up._

“Good for them, he’s twice their age.”

“No, I’m not.” The words come out of Ben’s mouth before he can stop them. “While I agree with your basic sentiment, I’m twenty-six. I’m not that old.” He isn’t too old for… _doesn’t matter_.

“Put the chairs back, Poe.” Leia orders as Poe starts to sit down. “And apologize to Alex.”

“Sorry, Alex.”

“Good, now let’s start Act Two. Ben, go.”

“Miss Elizabeth.”

“Mr. Darcy.”

“I have been walking in the grove some time in the hope of meeting you. Will you do me the honour of reading that letter?”

“I know it says that Lizzie reads it, but Ben we need you to read the letter.” Okay, Ben actually has to read for this part. Sure, he has the entire script memorized, well the parts that involve him, but that letter is long, and he wasn’t going to memorize it if he didn’t have to. “Rey, you’re actually going to start it, but Ben’s going to take over a few words in.”

“Where do you want me to stop?”

“Um…Leia?” Of course, Luke always needs his twin’s confirmation.

“Rey, stop at ‘renewal’. Ben, I want you to start at ‘its’. Read that bit between those two together.”

“To Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Be not alarmed, madam, on receiving this letter, by the apprehension of its containing any repetition of those sentiments or renewal…” Rey begins.

 “Its containing any repetition of those sentiments or renewal of those offers which were last night so disgusting to you. I write without any intention of paining you, or humbling myself, by dwelling on wishes which, for the happiness of both, cannot be too soon forgotten; and the effort which the formation and the perusal of this letter must occasion, should have been spared, had not my character required it to be written and read. You must, therefore, pardon the freedom with which I demand your attention; your feelings, I know, will bestow it unwillingly, but I demand it of your justice.” He reads through the abridged version of the letter. There’s no time to read the whole thing.

“How despicably I have acted!” Rey reads. “I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity in useless or blameable mistrust! How humiliating is this discovery! Yet, how just a humiliation! Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind! But vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself. We cannot stay any longer. I must return to Longbourn at once.”

Ben doesn’t really pay attention for a long time after that. Sure, he says his lines, makes a few notes in his script here and there, but a majority of his brain is focused on something else entirely. Tan skin and freckled cheeks, hazel eyes under thick lashes, chocolate hair pulled into messy buns, long legs hidden under light sweatpants, strong arms from manual labor. Ben Solo is completely and utterly helpless for a woman who barely looks at him even when they’re supposed to be talking to each other. Maybe he’s staring too much, maybe he’s creeping her out, maybe she thinks he’s just a weird person, maybe she thinks he’s ugly, maybe… Maybe a million other things to give Ben Solo anxiety.

“Elizabeth…Dearest, loveliest Elizabeth.”


	2. Not Handsome Enough to Tempt Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew spends their first day running through the first two scenes of the play, and everyone struggles with their British accent.

These girls are going to drive Rey crazy. Actually crazy. They keep whispering back and forth, looking over at Ben, and giggling. It’s clearly grating on his nerves, and for once she can’t bring herself to blame him. He hasn’t snapped at them yet, so there’s that. Ben sits in the second row, feet propped up on the back of the first, reading through his script as the Bennets block out the first scene, and silently judging them (well, Rey assumes that he’s silently judging them).

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,” Leia read, “However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.”

“Alright, then the lights will raise, and we’ll start.”

“My dear Mr. Bennet!” Rey has no clue how such a mild-mannered woman like Mona Mothma can encompass the most annoying character in the novel, yet here she is. Rey honestly hates 4/7 of the Bennet family. The second-hand embarrassment from those four is awful. Austen did her job well.

“I do not cough for my own amusement,” Sunny exclaims. “When is the next ball to be, Lizzy?”

“To-morrow fortnight.”

-oOo-

Rey has a new favorite thing. Her new favorite thing is everyone desperately attempting to speak with a British accent and not offend her. They’re trying. Every so often one of them will glance at Rey nervously, seeking approval. She just nods, and they continue. They can work on their accents later.

“She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me-” _Don’t worry, Solo, the feeling is mutual_ “-I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”

“Then Ben you walk over in front of Rey, Finn you go back over to Rose.” Leia directs. “Then that ends the scene. That’s all we’re going to block today. Tomorrow, we’re not going to come here. Everyone is going to meet up at my house, and we’re going to watch the BBC miniseries because I know that at least half of you haven’t read the book even though I told you to.”

“That’s six hours long.” The young Solo reminds his mother.

“It’s also a perfect adaptation and gets the proposals right. We’ll have time, Ben, don’t worry.” He doesn’t seem convinced. “Those of you who are new, I’ll give you the address on your way out.”

“From the top of the ball scene.” It isn’t much of a ball scene yet considering that none of them know the dances, but okay Luke. “And you’re dancing, and continue dancing and talking and whatever, and Gwen, Finn, and Ben.”

Everyone turns to look at the three of them. Finn doesn’t often look short, but now…he’s got a giant on either side of him. Gwen Phasma is somewhere around 6’3”, the same height as Ben Solo.

“Lizzie, Jane,” Mona hisses at the Rose and Rey. “The shorter man, that is Mr. Bingley. The woman is his sister, Caroline Bingley. The taller gentleman, that is Mr. Darcy, Bingley’s oldest friend. He has a great estate in Derbyshire, ten thousand a year at least. Isn’t he handsome?”

“I wonder if he would be as handsome if he weren’t so rich.” Rose just laughs while Mona gives Rey a shameful look.

-oOo-

They run through the first two scenes about five more times before they’re finally allowed to leave. By the end, everyone can do it confidently without scripts, so there’s that.

“I think that this is going to be fun.” Rose comments.

“I hope so.”

“Oh, come on, you’re the lead.” She bumps Rey’s bicep with her shoulder. “You have to have fun.”

“To be fair who I’m playing opposite is not exactly the most inviting person to speak to.”

“I’d be quiet if I were you, he seems to hear everything. I’m sure he’s not that bad, just not that great at socializing.” Rose is notoriously optimistic. This girl once tried to convince Rey that there had to be a bright side to Rey’s car getting totaled.

“He could at least attempt to not look at us like we’re beneath him.” It doesn’t really matter that in this case, they are technically, Rey doesn’t want to be reminded of it. She’s been looked down on all of her life, she doesn’t want that somewhere where she is supposed to be enjoying herself. She doesn’t want this to be ruined.

“That’s literally his entire character at this point in the play. Maybe he’s a method actor.”

“I don’t really care. I’ll be civil to him for Leia and Han, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“You may have to kiss him,” Rose points out in a sing-song voice. This hadn’t really ever occurred to Rey. Sure, she figured that she might have to like hug him, take his hand, something, but…Leia hasn’t had anyone kiss in any of the shows that Rey’s been in. Sure, none of them were romances, but some of them had kisses that they simply didn’t do or did some creative thing so that no one had to actually kiss.

“There’s no kiss in the book or the script.”

“It’s a romance, Rey, there’s gotta be a kiss.”

“Who’s kissing? Can I watch?” Poe runs up behind them.

“No one and no.” Rey shoots her short friend a glare strong enough to make almost anyone crack.

“If no one is kissing, then you wouldn’t have to tell me that I couldn’t watch because there would be nothing to watch.”

“That might just be the most logical thing that has ever come out of your mouth.” Rose gapes at him.

“I have my moments.”

“Not many of them. Wait, where’s Finn?” Rey stops about midway down the hall, suddenly aware of their missing friend.

“Leia held him back for a minute to ask him something, he’ll be here soon.”

-oOo-

“Ben, you have to be more sociable.” His mother scolds. “You’re never going to get-”

“Don’t.” He interrupts. “I know…I know.”


	3. He Has a Right to be Proud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone goes over to the Solo's to watch the BBC miniseries.

Rey loves going over to the Solos’ for the movie day. Each year, they all go over and watch an adaptation of the show they’re putting on. Normally it’s not six hours long, but this is anything but a normal year.

“Have you watched this adaptation, Rey?” Finn snaps her out of her reverie.

“Yeah, once. It was a while ago. I liked it. There’s one scene that the teens are going to go crazy over.”

“If they can tear their eyes off of Ben Solo for long enough to notice it.” Rose laughs. “They’re about as subtle as a train wreck, not that I blame them,” Finn replies with a huffing noise, reminding Rose that she’s dating him. “You know I love you, Finn, but if I was sixteen and single and a six-foot-three-inch professional stage actor with a nice voice and great hair showed up…”

“You’re not helping your situation.”

“Would you like me to start listing everything I like about you?”

“Please let me get out of the car first,” Rey buts in. “You two are cute, but I can only deal with so much.”

“Sorry.” Rose turns in the front seat to look at her.

“You’re fine, but I would rather not be in a car crash because you two are making eyes at each other.”

“At least we’re better than Hux and Poe.” Finn points out.

“Leia put a box of condoms in the supply closet for them, it doesn’t get much worse.”

“That’s true.”

“God, I hate when they do that. You can hear them no matter where you are in the building.” Rose plops back in her seat properly. “I wonder how tall, dark, and angry is going to react the first time we just start hearing moans.”

“It’s gotta happen at least once before the show. It’s tradition at this point.”

“A very noisy tradition.”

-oOo-

It’s Han that answers the door, though Leia isn’t far behind. “You three are early.”

“We always are.” Finn reminds him, going through the open door and into the foyer. Leia quickly motions towards the den which was filled with bean bags, blankets, and pillows. Finn and Rose claim one of the two matching loveseats. “You three show up early just to claim the best seats, don’t you?”

“No, that’s just a bonus.” Finn’s laugh rings through the room.

“We show up early because Rose is terrified of being late to anything.” Rey sits on the other loveseat.

“Don’t say that like it’s a bad thing.” Rose snaps, snuggling closer to Finn. “If it weren’t for me, you’d never get anywhere on time.”

“You’re the complete opposite of Luke, he’s never on time.”

“We know.” All three of the young adults reply.

“What time is ever-” A partially-dressed Ben Solo freezes in the door. Rey’s eyes lock with his, her mouth falling open slightly as they stare at each other, wide-eyed and turning red. Fuck. She tries to keep her eyes on his face but is having trouble. Why is he built like a refrigerator? He’s a stage actor. Why? When does he have time? She has many questions. Mainly, where is his shirt and why is it not on his body? “Well, that answers my question.”

He slowly backs away and when Rey couldn’t see him anymore his footsteps get faster. A door closes, and Han starts laughing. “I don’t think I’ve seen him that flustered since he was a teenager. Oh, I gotta tell Leia about that.”

“Looks like our friend is also reverting to her teenage years.” Rose teases once Han is out of the room. “You’re as red as a tomato, again, not that I blame you.” Finn sighs, and Rose laughs.

“I am not.”

“You’re smitten.” Rose basically sings.

“No, I am not.”

“Sure, you’re not.” Finn teases. The three sit in silence after that, Rey silently seething, and Finn and Rose whispering back and forth. Eventually, others start showing up, but no one claims the seat next to Rey. Generally, Paige takes that seat, but instead, she sits on one of the bean bags. Nearly every seat is taken by the time Ben arrived, significantly less red and wearing a shirt, but his hair still damp. He stands in the doorway, looking around and noticing the limited seating choices (i.e. next to Rey or the floor), and seems to seriously consider sitting on the floor. _Dick._

“Do you mind?” He asks, motioning to the empty spot next to her. She quietly shakes her head, and he takes a seat.

“Alright, we’re all here now. Let’s start.” Leia clapped her hands together and presses play. The opening credits started up, and oh yeah, Rey remembered that song. Han walked in carrying large bowls of popcorn followed by Luke carrying some more. Han handed Ben one of the bowls and winks at him before handing the other one to Alex who’s sitting in one of the bean bags.

“We don’t have enough bowls, so everyone has to share.” Oh yay. Ben attempted to awkwardly balance the plastic bowl on her right thigh and his left before giving up and just handing her the bowl.

“Don’t you want any?”

“I’m fine.” He waves his hand and turns back to the screen. After Han passes out the popcorn, he takes his seat in his recliner, Leia perches herself on his lap looking rather proud about something. Hux and Poe have taken up most of the couch, leaving Gwen very little room. The teens plus Paige have claimed the beanbags. Mona, Lawrence, and Amilyn aren’t here. Well, that’s to be expected. They’re actual adults with actual lives.

“We’re going to have to dance like that?” Athena asks once the first ball begins.

“Don’t worry, an old friend is going to come to teach you how,” Luke replies. “It shouldn’t be too hard.” Speak for yourself, you won’t be dancing.

“Who?” Ben asks, eyeing his uncle warily.

“Maz.” Ben just groans in reply.

“What?” Rey asks before she can stop herself.

“Nothing.” His voice becomes cold and demands that she doesn’t press the issue. What is this man? He’s gone from judgmental ass to flustered boy without a shirt to awkwardly asking if he can sit next to her and giving her popcorn to irritable prick, and she just met him yesterday.


	4. You Never See a Fault in Anybody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is the only optimist.

“I thought it was like outside, in the rain,” Alex comments on Darcy’s first proposal.

“That’s the 2005 version.” Leah, who plays Georgiana, replies. “The second proposal doesn’t happen at the break of dawn with neither of them dressed properly either in case you’re wondering.”

“Then why does it happen that way in the movie?”

“Because the movie is wrong.” Leah rolls her eyes. Well, yes, Leah. That’s a given.

“What gives you the authority to say that?” Hux scoffs at the teenage girl. Leah simply turns to him with a sweet smile on her face. Oh, this is going to be good.

“Because unlike you, I read the book. Now tell me, what gives you the authority to challenge someone who actually knows what they’re talking about?” That shuts him up. He got shut down by a nineteen-year-old. Since this conversation began, Leia rewound the episode to the beginning of the proposal and paused it.

“Now, don’t speak this time. In case you haven’t noticed, this is an important scene.” For two of us. This doesn’t affect them, though they all watch eagerly.

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Colin Firth says. Then Jennifer Ehle gives him the verbal smackdown of a lifetime. God, it’s such a good scene.

“Damn,” Poe says under his breath. Ben shifts, trying not to touch Rey.

-oOo-

The miniseries eventually ends. Four people have fallen asleep (Luke is snoring), Amilyn Holdo joined them at some point, and Rey’s pretty sure that at least three of the teenagers practically passed out during the lake scene. Leia finally turns off the television and says, “Alright, see you all on Saturday. Please try to have the third and fourth scene memorized.”

They all groan somewhat in response before awakening their sleeping friends and going towards the door.

“Hey, Ben. We’re going out for drinks, wanna come?” Finn, Rose, Poe, and Rey are going out. Hux is going home, he doesn’t really like his boyfriend’s friends.

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?” Really?

“One drink isn’t going to leave me hungover.” There’s no way that he can be that much of a lightweight, Rey thinks.

“I would rather not.” He’s acting like…she doesn’t even know what he’s acting like. Rude. He’s acting rude.

“Okay then.” Rey stands up from the loveseat and bids most everyone goodbye.

“See you in the morning, kid,” Han calls out at her.

“See you in the morning.” Finn and Rose are already waiting for her by the car, Poe is still saying goodbye to his boyfriend.

“Well, I am now fully confident in Ben’s ability to play asshole Darcy during the first half of the play,” Finn announces once she’s near them.

“It took you this long?”

“Maybe he’s just socially awkward and doesn’t really know what to do.” Rose always tries to see the best in people, to make the best of the situation, but this is one time when Rey wishes that she wouldn’t.

“He’s going to have to spend time with us regardless. Wouldn’t it be better to get to know us in a casual setting?”

“Maybe his parents have something planned.”

“Then he would have just said that.” Finn points out.

“I don’t know, his parents are great, he can’t just be a total ass.” Rose at least somewhat gives in.

“Sorry,” Poe says, jogging to meet them.

“It’s fine, get in.” They all pile into Finn’s Camry, and he drives off. “Alright, tell us everything Hux knows.”

“Okay, so they didn’t have many classes together before Armie dropped out, but they did have some.” Poe starts almost immediately after Finn finishes. “He’s extremely moody, hardly ever socializes, and is all around just unpleasant.”

“Everyone is unpleasant in college.” Rose, please stop. “Also, Hux is not exactly a fair judge of what makes someone unpleasant.”

Hux went to Juilliard, well, was forced to go to Juilliard by his father, before eventually dropping out. Ben Solo also went to Julliard, though he did graduate. Evidently, Poe decided to find out everything he could, or Finn told him to or Rose. Rey doesn’t know, doesn’t care.

“Rose, you can’t make him good just by saying that he has to be.” Rey groans. “I know you want him to be a good person, but maybe he just isn’t.”

“Oh, so we’re going to ignore how embarrassed and flustered he was when he walked in without a shirt? We’re going to ignore how red your cheeks got, and your eyes wandered?”

“Wait, what?” Poe practically yells. “When did that happen?”

“We got there early, he walked in to ask something and there we were. Rey got an eyeful.”

“It doesn’t matter. Anyone would get embarrassed if caught half-dressed. That doesn’t make him a better person.”

“No, but it did show that he can be embarrassed, that he has a range of actual human emotions.”

“Alright, all of you stop it. I don’t want the entire night ruined because of him.” Finn orders.

“You’re right.” She yawns. “I don’t think it’s going to be a long night, though.”

“Fine with me, I just need a drink,” Poe announces. He always does.

-oOo-

“You should have gone with them.” Leia chastises her son.

“I know,” Ben responds.

“Why didn’t you? It was a perfect opportunity. Rey’s a sweet girl, but she forms opinions of people early and sticks to them.” Ben hardly ever makes a good first impression. He gets nervous and always ends up sounding ruder than he meant to. But, he just…it’s hard to get over that. It’s hard to get over social anxiety, no matter how much he wants to. Too many years of being embarrassed basically for existing is a lot to get over.

“I don’t know.”

“Next time you see her, you are going to go apologize to her and ask her if she would like to go get a coffee sometime, and because it’s you, tell her that you were starting to get a migraine and didn’t want it to get worse.”

“Mom-”

“Ben, please. You’ll be happier for it.”

“And if she says no? Then what? We’re still going to have to do this show together. The next four months will be agony.” His head falls into his hands, his fingers threading through his dark hair. He never meant to tell his mother about his infatuation with this British girl. However, Leia Organa-Solo knows everything.

“You’re getting into your own head too much, sweetheart.” Leia rests one hand on his shoulder as she slides onto the loveseat. “If you're polite and do what you’re supposed to, she won’t say no.”

“I’ll mess it up.”

“With that attitude, you certainly will.”

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/156607341@N05/41887533951/in/dateposted-public/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Star Wars Day! So, Leah is actually based off my first college RA who loves Star Wars. So, no I didn't misspell Leia. The rest of the OC's are people in my discord server. Basically, I needed young women who are in love with Kylo Ren, they fit the bill.  
> Yeah, I'm salty at the 2005 movie.


	5. He Began to Wish to Know More of Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey goes to work and has an awkward interaction.

“Hey, kid! I need you to change the oil on the car pulling into three.” Han yells from across the garage. “I gotta make a few calls.”

“On it.” Rey wipes her hands and walks over to the station. That’s probably the newest car that’s ever pulled into this place. It’s a black Mercedes that she has no clue why it’s here. If you can afford this car, you can afford to get it serviced at the dealership. The driver shuts off the engine and steps out and-oh that’s why it’s here. “Mr. Solo.”

“Ms. Jakku.” They stand there with his car door open for far longer than either would have liked. “I just can’t escape you, can I?”

“This job is the reason I’m involved in the play. Now if you don’t mind, I would like to do my job. Though I do wonder why you couldn’t change the oil yourself. Surely Han taught you how.”

“I do hope that you aren’t this rude to all of the customers. You know most people would be afraid of insulting their boss’s son.”

“Well, neither of us are most people, are we?” Rey holds out her hand for the keys. “Now, if you would please go wait in the office, I will be done shortly.”

“And make awkward small talk with my father? No thank you.” He places the keys in her hand. “And for your information, I could very well change the oil myself, I just don’t want to. My father offered to have it changed for me, so I took him up on it.”

“You Americans are so lazy.” She notes and slides into the driver’s side seat. She still has a job to do. “Where’s your manual, we don’t work on many Mercedes.”

“I’m on vacation, I’m allowed to be lazy, and in the glovebox.” He leans against the workbench, _Rey’s_ workbench.

“What exactly are you doing during the week?” She pulls out the manual to find the oil his car needs.

“Whatever it is that my mother tells me to.” He shrugs. Rey would comment on his age, but she also does anything Leia Organa-Solo tells her to.

“You’re going to be very bored for the next four months, aren’t you?”

“And why are you so concerned about how I’ll be spending my free time?”

“I’m not, I’m just concerned with how much I’m going to have to deal with you.” For a second Rey wonders if she should be politer considering the fact that this man’s father signs her paychecks. Han won’t mind, well, he won’t fire her.

The fact that Han is making calls right now, and she can’t disturb him is making this so much worse. _Please come get your son, Han_ , Rey mentally pleads, _I know he’s twenty-six and lives on his own and has a job, but please come get him_. “Alright, you’ve asked your questions, I believe that it’s my turn to ask you some.”

“I only asked you three, and you’ve already asked me two.”

“Then I get one more.”

“Fine, what do you want to know?” Rey concedes.

“Give me a minute, I need to think of a good one.”

-oOo-

 _I can’t do it_ , Ben panics. _I can’t ask her. I’ve just made it worse. I did everything wrong, and now she’ll hate me forever. Shit. Fuck._

“You know what, I think I’ll hold onto my question, ask it when the time is right.”

“Whatever. I don’t really care.” _Of course, she doesn’t._

“But when I do ask, you will answer?” Ben walks closer to her, close enough that he can smell her. Motor oil, mostly. Motor oil, sweat, that’s about it.

“Sure, fine.”

“Hey, kid!” Han yells from the office.

“Yes?” Ben and Rey both respond at the same time. Ben flinches slightly, Han hasn’t called him “kid” in years. Why would he now? He probably just wants to talk to Rey and forgot about the fact that he used to call his own son that.

“That’s the second time this has happened.” Han laughs.

“Wait, when was the first?” Rey asks.

“When Ben was about three years old, Luke was playing with him, and I said something that ended with ‘kid’, and they both looked up.” Han muses. “I called Luke that before Ben here came around.” Han grasps onto his son’s shoulder, and Ben instantly tenses up. Casual touch isn’t something that he’s really used to.

“So, you’ve called at least three people ‘kid’ while only having one child.” Rey appears to be mildly amused as if it didn’t really matter. Of course, it doesn’t really matter to her. She isn’t the one being…

“Yes.”

-oOo-

“So, how was work?” Rose asks from the couch. She and Finn get off earlier than Rey does.

“Fine until Ben Solo showed up for me to change the oil in his car.”

“His dad owns an auto repair shop, can’t he do it himself?” Finn raises one eyebrow.

“I pointed that out, apparently Han offered to have it changed for him. So, I got to have awkward small talk with Ben Solo.”

“Was he still an agoraphobic lobster?” That is insanely specific, and Rey has no clue how Rose came up with it.

“Agoraphobic?” Finn asks.

“It’s the fear of panic attacks and things that cause panic attacks,” Rose explains for her boyfriend. “Did you learn anything interesting?”

“He drives a Mercedes.” Because of course he fucking does.

“Figures come on, it’s time for movie night.” Every Friday night they watch a movie together, sometimes Poe joins in, sometimes (once in a blue moon) he brings Hux. No one likes it when he brings Hux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you make one of your main characters a car mechanic and don't know anything about cars.  
> Like, my dad taught me to change a tire, but I'm too weak to take the bolts off, so that's it. I can't do anything with cars. To be fair, he also had trouble taking the bolts off with the tool supplied with my car.  
> Uh, the Han calling out "kid", and Ben and Luke both replying was taken from a Tumblr post, and I don't remember who said it. If you know, please tell me so that I can give credit. It was not my idea.  
> P.S. My car is named Lizzie, ironically I did not name it. My younger sister named her.


	6. A Pair of Fine Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot, just a lot. There's Luke being awkward, family history, and coffee drama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY.  
> Also, I am alive.  
> I've had a long few weeks. I started a job, been unwillingly taken on vacation, did VBS. Basically, I am a very tired Lauren. I will continue to be a very tired Lauren for probably the rest of my life.  
> I don't know how consistently I'll be updating because I still have work and another unwilling family event.

“Rey!” Luke exclaims as soon as that group enters the theatre.             

“What?” Rey yells back.

“Don’t you think that I should get this?” Of course, Ben thinks. Luke’s been asking everyone who has even set foot in the room what they think of this prosthetic designed to look like Iron Man’s armor that he wants. “Leia says no.”

“They’re for children, Luke.” Leia sighs as she and Ben walk past the group.

“I am a child at heart!” Ben has no clue how his uncle actually lost his arm. Sure, they always told him that it was a freak accident, but it’s hard not to be curious. “What do you think, Rey?”

“I think it’s cool.”

“What about you, Ben?” Thanks, Luke, Ben seethes. This must be part of his punishment for not doing what his mother wanted.

“I don’t care.”

“I think he should get it.” Poe pipes up.

“Three-to-one plus an ‘eh’,” Luke informs Leia.

“Do what you want, Luke.” Leia sighs, exasperated. “Just don’t expect me to humor you while you pretend to be Iron Man.”

-oOo-

“My dear Miss Eliza, why are you not dancing? Mr. Darcy, you must allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable partner. You cannot refuse to dance, I am sure when so much beauty is before you.” Luke, uh, “presents” Rey to Ben. They don’t have someone to play Sir Lucas yet, so Luke is standing in.

“Indeed, sir, I have not the least intention of dancing. I entreat you not to suppose that I moved this way in order to beg for a partner.”

“I would be honored if you would give me the pleasure of dancing with you, Miss Elizabeth.” Ben bows his head slightly.

 “You excel so much in the dance, Miss Eliza, that it is cruel to deny me the happiness of seeing you; and though this gentleman dislikes the amusement in general, he can have no objection, I am sure, to oblige us for one half-hour.”

“Mr. Darcy is all politeness.” Unlike his actor, Rey thinks.

“He is, indeed; but, considering the inducement, my dear Miss Eliza, we cannot wonder at his complaisance—for who would object to such a partner?” This is weirder since it’s his uncle.

“I beg if you’ll excuse me.” Rey curtsies slightly before rushing over to Paige. Ben walks away as well, leaving Luke awkwardly standing in center stage.

“Rey, make sure that you’re facing Ben,” Leia calls. She and Paige whisper utter nonsense while Gwen Phasma and Ben converse.

 “I can guess the subject of your reverie.” Gwen saunters up next to Ben.

“I should imagine not.”

“You are considering how insupportable it would be to pass many evenings in this manner—in such society; and indeed I am quite of your opinion. I was never more annoyed! The insipidity, and yet the noise—the nothingness, and yet the self-importance of all those people! What would I give to hear your strictures on them!”

“Your conjecture is totally wrong, I assure you. My mind was more agreeably engaged. I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.” Ben keeps staring intently at her, and even though Rey knows why, it still maker her uncomfortable.

“And which lady has the pleasure of your high opinion?”

“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” Ben replies stiffly.

“Miss Elizabeth Bennet! I am all astonishment. How long has she been such a favourite?—and pray, when am I to wish you joy?” Gwen glares at Rey. Rey knows that it’s in-character for Caroline, but something about Gwen Phasma’s stare is extremely unsettling.

“That is exactly the question which I expected you to ask. A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy.” Rey really hates that line, whenever she read the book she thinks it in a sarcastic voice.

“Nay, if you are serious about it, I shall consider the matter is absolutely settled. You will be having a charming mother-in-law, indeed; and, of course, she will always be at Pemberley with you.”

-oOo-

“Ben! Rey! Are you two willing to go on a coffee run tomorrow?” Luke asks.

“Uh…” Rey practically begs her mouth to work, to make words, to say no.

“Uh…” Ben shifts awkwardly.

“It won’t kill you.” Leia sighs. “You won’t be doing it every week, we’ll rotate.”

“Considering the number of people, it would be easier if two people went,” Luke adds. “There’s going to be a lot of cups.”

“Uh…” Words. Words.

“It’s coffee, you won’t die.” Rose pipes in.

“Coffee?” Finn perks up, walking into the middle of the conversation. “Where’s the coffee?”

“Not here.” Finally, words.

“But I want coffee.” Finn pouts.

“Well, Rey and Ben will be getting your coffee tomorrow.” _ROSE!_ She looks over at Ben. He just shrugs and shakes his head. They’re stuck.

“But I want coffee now!” Finn whines.

“Rey!” Amilyn interrupts them, continuing to do her job unlike the rest of them. _Thank whatever deity that gave us Amilyn Holdo_ , Rey praises. “How are you doing?”

“Alright, how are you?” She pulls off her sweatshirt and tosses it over a chair once she follows Amilyn backstage.

“I’m fine, ready to be done measuring all of you, but fine. Measuring is the worst part, I swear.”

“Really?”

“Well, actually altering is the worst because that’s when you fix the mistakes you made in measuring,” Amilyn replies after a few seconds of consideration. “Measuring sucks mostly because it’s awkward.”

“That’s true.” Amilyn measures her bust and waistline before saying anything else.

“What was I interrupting?”

“A debate on whether or not Ben and I will be getting everyone coffee tomorrow.”

“And?” The older woman raises an eyebrow as she measures Rey’s hips.

“Rose is making us.”

“Oh. Making both of you?”

“Yes?” Yes, making both of them. Did Rey not make that clear?

“Well, no matter what you think, he isn’t that bad. I’ve known Ben since he was a baby. He was a good kid, and I’ve learned that good kids are likely to grow into good adults. I know he’s awkward, he’s always been awkward, but he’s got a good heart. He’s a lot like his dad, even though he doesn’t want to believe it.”

“He acts all high and mighty around us.” Rey scoffs.

“You do remember that he was born to privilege, right? His mother and uncle were celebrities, and don’t even get me started on his grandparents.”

“Tell me.” She knows who his grandmother was, everyone knows that. Padmé Amidala is still loved by this town fifty years after her death. His grandfather…Rey knows nothing. People say that after his wife died, he went crazy. His name was Anakin, that’s all she knows.

“It’s a long story, dear, and not mine to tell.” Three knocks sound from the door. “Come in.”

“Mom wants to know about how much longer you’ll think this is going to take.” Ben Solo sticks his head in.

“There’s what, four of you left? Don’t worry, I should be done in the next half hour.”

-oOo-

“Okay, so how much coffee are we getting?” If Ben Solo manages to survive this, he is never going to forgive his mother.

“Enough for a small army, I’m pretty sure.” Rey looks at the list of custom coffee owners.

  * strawberry cream frap – Finn
  * hazelnut latte – Rose
  * english breakfast tea with cream and sugar – Leah
  * peach tranquility herbal tea (no milk or sugar) – Holdo
  * caramel machiatto double shot espresso – Hux
  * almond milk latte – Leia
  * darjeeling tea with lemon wedge – Sunny
  * black coffee with two sugars – Lawrence
  * black coffee with soy milk and matcha powder (yes, it’s supposed to be green) – Luke
  * cinnamon cappuccino with sugar, milk, and chocolate shavings - Poe



“Fuck, I’ve only got like four cup holders.” Well, this is going to be fun. Well, more fun than it was going to be anyways. As soon as Rey arrived at the theatre, she was basically pushed at Ben and told to go get the coffee. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I didn’t think that I would ever hear you swear,” Rey informs him.

“Have you met my father?”

“Yes, but you just don’t really seem the type.”

“Oh, really? What did you think?” Ben walks around his car, finding himself crowding her personal space more than he meant to. “That I would view swearing as beneath me? That I believe myself to be all high and mighty? I know how you feel about me, Rey Jakku. I know exactly what you believe me to be, and if that’s what you want, I’ll be it.”

“What-” But the words keep flowing out of Ben Solo’s mouth, completely out of his control.

“No, you don’t get to deny it. You’re not exactly quiet or subtle, and neither are your friends. I’ve seen how you look at me, you look at me like you watched me strangle a cat or something.” He doesn’t move any closer, standing a little bit less than a foot away from her. His dark eyes locking onto Rey’s before he begins again. “We’re both unwilling participants in this. I’m being forced to be here, you’re being forced to deal with me. So, for the next four months, we’re going to be seeing each other quite often, like it or not. You don’t have to like it, to like me, but you do have to accept it.”

“And so do you.” She sneers, keeping their eyes locked. “You have to deal with being surrounded by these lowly community theatre actors. You have to accept the fact that we’re not professionals and not trying to be. For us, this is a hobby, we do this because it’s fun. The very least you could do is not look at everyone like they’re the dirt beneath your feet.”

“And the very least you could do is wait to know someone before you judge them.”

“I know everything I need to know about you.”

“You do? Ah, you do.”

-oOo-

Rey doesn’t know what to do, what to say. Seemingly realizing this, Ben continues. “You’re looking at me like I’m a monster.”

“Because you’re acting like one.” A surge of adrenaline hits Rey. If there’s anything that she’s good at, it’s arguing.

“Maybe I’m not acting.” She would be terrified…she should be terrified. But he said that looking more resigned than proud. It’s hard to be angry at someone when they look like a very large kicked puppy. Ben ducks his head, eyes still locked with hers. Dark brown with small flecks of lighter brown, almost gold, it’s not fair. Nice eyes should only be on nice people.


	7. Angry People are not Always Wise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the most awkward coffee run ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told y'all that I'm not dead. Uh, you probably have noticed the POV change from the first person from Rey to the third person with a mix of Rey and Ben. I have updated all previous chapters to fit this POV and am starting to work on actually rewriting them instead of just changed all the pronouns to fit. Nothing plotwise has really changed, but I wanted to get the next chapter to you guys because it's been way too long since I posted one. Hell, you may need to reread the previous chapters just to remember what happened.

“That was the single most awkward coffee run that I have ever been on. After he said _that_ , he marched inside and started ordering the coffee. I stood there, staring at where he had just been. By the time I entered he was waiting for the coffee.”

“So, how was the drive back?” Rose asks, sipping her drink.

“We didn’t speak a word to each other.”

“Well, these next four months are going to be fun,” Finn mumbles. “You are going to have to talk to him again.”

“I know, trust me, I know.”

“Rey! Get over here.” Leia calls. She turns to look at the stage where Leia and her son are already waiting for her.

“I’m going to die.”

“If you can’t survive this, there’s no way you’ll be able to survive the proposals.” Rose scolds.

“Do I want to survive to those?”

“Yes, you do.”

“Rey!” Leia calls again.

“I’m coming!”

“That’s what she said,” Poe yells from across the room.

“How old are you?” Rey yells back.

“Mentally or physically?”

“Rey, just get up here.” Rey decides that it’s best to just do what Leia wants. It’s generally best to just do what Leia wants. “Good, so now we have to have time for the scenery to change. So, once you ‘set off’ for Netherfield, Rey, you are going to walk off these steps here, walk around the seats and once you get to the middle break in the rows, turn left then go all the way across, then come back up and onto the stage. A spotlight should follow you, hopefully. We’ll be changing from the Longbourn set to the Netherfield set. Ben, you’re going to meet her here.”

Leia continues to direct them, giving stage cues and such as they both defiantly look at anything but each other.

“Miss Elizabeth.”

“Mr. Darcy.” Rey curtsies. “I have come to see my sister.”

“On foot?”

“As you can see.”

“Wait for a beat before the next part, Rey,” Luke yells from offstage.

“May I see my sister?”

“Yes, of course.”

-oOo-

They don’t speak to each other for the next week unless they absolutely have to; they don’t speak, they don’t look at each other, they most definitely do not touch. Though Finn and Rose are the only ones who know what happened, the awkwardness seeps onto everyone else. Things are tenser in the following rehearsal, people are quieter. Well, that is until Leia Organa realizes what’s happening.

“You two are going to stay in here until you work whatever this is out. The rest of us are going to continue rehearsing.” Leia firmly closes and locks the door, trapping her son and Rey inside.

“This is ridiculous,” Ben yells at the door and people on the other side of it.

“We can’t get anything done with you two like this. Either you fix this, or we replace you.” Luke yells in reply. Ben staggers backward as if he’d been punched in the gut. He doesn’t sit, though Rey does in one of the plastic folding chairs. His dark eyes remain locked on the door, almost attempting to open it through intimidation.

“They’re not going to open that door just because you keep staring at it.”

“They’re not going to open that door regardless.” Ben sneers, finally sitting in the other chair.

“They could if you would stop being such an ass.”

“Or if you would learn to move past first impressions.”

“Oh, and what better impression will your second one be? Will they make me forget about how I’ve watched your parents worry about you for years? How I’ve listened to your mother hope that you would come to support this little group of actors she was working with every single damn year? How when your father teaches me something in the shop, he always mentions when how he taught you how to do it years ago and then has to go to his office for a while because of how upset it made him? What about how you fought your uncle over a damn role? Your second impression better be that of a god to make me forget all of that.”

“He told you this all happened because I was angry that I didn’t get a role? Of course, he did, I shouldn’t have expected anything else. Lying to save face is the one thing Luke Skywalker is actually good at.”

“What the Hell are you talking about?” Rey scoffs.

“I didn’t get angry that I didn’t get a role, I got angry that he replaced me because _one_ person accused him of nepotism, and he thought that it was going to ruin _his_ career. So, instead, he nearly ruined _mine_.”

“What do you mean ‘nearly ruined yours’?”

“I was given a leading role in-No, I earned a leading role when I was only twenty-one. Luke and I had not spoken in a while, I didn’t know that he was involved in this show. He was producing, not directing. When my casting was announced, a critic pointed out how convenient it was that I got this role in a show being produced by a member of my family. We were in the middle of rehearsals when he showed up, asked everyone to give us a minute, and proceeded to tell me that I couldn’t be in the show.

“He kept insisting that it was for my own good that if I kept this role no one would believe that I earned it, that it would be impossible for me to get other roles, apparently taking away the first job I got out of college was for my own good. After that speculation began, everyone collectively decided that it meant I had done something terrible in order to get fired. There’s no way that Luke Skywalker would fire his own flesh and blood for no good reason, right?” Ben glares at the door. “I’m lucky to have any career at all. People started digging into my high school record, found out about my anger management issues when I was a teenager, decided that I must’ve punched someone or something. Directors blatantly told me that they thought I was a liability. My name, my education, none of it meant anything anymore.”

“Then how did you get a career?” Rey asks despite her previous intention to not try to work this out.

“A faculty member from school, Dr. Snoke, he was able to set me up with a director who didn’t give a shit about that stuff. I did well enough in that show and caused no issues that other directors began to open up to the idea of me.”

“What about your parents?”

“What about them?”

“None of this explains how you’ve treated Han and Leia.”

“What was I supposed to do? Go crying back to my mother to fix everything? If the problem was nepotism, I couldn’t solve it by going to my parents for help. Never mind the fact that I know they would’ve taken Luke’s side.”

“You’re wrong.” Rey states.

“Oh, so you know my parents better than I do? Are they better parents to you than they were to me?”

“What are you-”

“I know about you, Rey Jakku. I know about how you were raised in the Foster system. I don’t hold that against you, for the record, it isn’t your fault that your parents were garbage who abandoned you.”

“They didn’t.” Anger starts to well within Rey.

“They did, and now you’re replacing them with mine.” He crosses his arms, almost smugly, as if he’d finally cracked the case of Rey Jakku. “They would have disappointed you, they did me.”

“Leia and Han have done nothing to me, they’re two of the sweetest people that I’ve ever met.”

“Meanwhile they sent their troubled son off to boarding school, rarely visited, and were apparently surprised when everything didn’t work out perfectly.” Rey…Rey didn’t know about that. Sure, she never recognized the name of the school on any of the programs at their house, but she didn’t really know any high schools in this country, so she rarely thought about it. “I was an accident, they weren’t ready to have kids, didn’t plan on having kids, they didn’t want me. I guess we have more in common than you think.”

“They love you, Ben. I’ve listened to them worry about you for years. If you would just talk to them, call them every once in a while, show up for a holiday, they’d be thrilled.” _Maybe some good will come out of this, after all,_ Rey thinks.

“I’ve barely spoken to them in the past seven years.”

“It isn’t too late, it’s never too late.” He doesn’t reply, just lets them fall into silence. It isn’t awkward per se, certainly not as awkward as the silences before, but it isn’t exactly comfortable either.

“You’re wrong about something else.”

“What?” Rey’s voice has an edge of bitterness, tired of being told how she’s wrong, but knowing that this man just opened up old wounds to her.

“I did come to the performances. I sit in the back, leave before anyone can notice me, I’ve been coming to them since they began.” He stares at his hands, unwilling to look her in the eye. “I remember your first show, you were one of the Weird Sisters in Macbeth.”

“That I was.”

“Last year, you were Persephone.”

“Yes.”

“Last year, your costume was pink, and you wore a gold crown with flowers. One of the Frogs almost fell on top of you at one point, I assume on accident.”

“I know. Why are you telling me things that I obviously already know?”

“To prove that I’m telling the truth.”


	8. Knowing Him Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey try to get to know each other, at least a little.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Red. Yours?”

“Blue.” Rey answers.

“Okay, what is your favorite season?”

“Fall.”

“Mine, too.” Ben agrees. They’ve been at this for at least ten minutes, just asking random questions because the door is still locked, and no one has come to let them out.

“What was the first show you were ever in?”

“Depends on what you qualify as a show. The first thing on a stage I was ever in was a children’s nativity play when I was like three.”

“What were you?”

“I don’t know, a sheep or something like that.” Ben shrugs. “All of the little, little kids were livestock. When you were like six and seven, if you were a boy you became a shepherd, if you were a girl you were an angel. Third through fifth grade, you were a part of the choir. Sixth grade you got to have like an actual role.”

“Who were you in the sixth grade?”

“A wiseman. I had to wear a fake beard and guide the kid in a camel costume around. He was also a sixth grader. The wisemen’s camels were the best part of the entire show solely because of the costume. Basically, it was a broomstick with a camel head on one end with a tan sheet attached to it. The sheet went over your head and had two eye holes in it, so your head was the camel’s hump.”

“That’s amazing.” Rey laughs.

“Yeah, that year little baby Jesus started crying and eleven-year-old Mary did not know what the fuck to do because we used an actual baby. Eleven-year-old Joseph was zero help.”

“Why do you use a real baby? Why do you trust the sixth graders with a baby? I don’t trust a lot of grown adults with a baby.”

“Look, they didn’t ask me. I’m just glad I didn’t have to deal with the baby. Oh, the Star costume was also great. You know the Star that the wisemen and shepherds follow to baby Jesus? A kid played that Star. Used to be, the costume was this giant red and gold thing that was as tall as you and had a face cutout, and it was strapped onto them somehow, but then they got a star on a stick that they just got to carry, and I was pissed. I was so pissed because my friend was going to be the Star, and I wanted him to wear the giant star suit.”

“That’s a shame.”

“It really is.”

“I think I’m going to have to get Leia to show me these pictures of three-year-old Ben dressed as a sheep now,” Rey smirks.

“She’ll have them. She had pictures of absolutely everything.”

“That she does.”

“What about you? What was the first show that you were ever in?” Ben changes the subject.

“ _Macbeth_ , here.”

“You didn’t do anything in high school?”

“No, there wasn’t really time for stuff like that; I had to work too hard to survive and make sure that I could continue to survive once I was out of the system,” Rey informs him.

“Sorry, I-”

“It’s fine.” Rey interrupts. “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“Hm…how specific do I need to be? Can I just say a country, or do I have to say a city?”

“A country is fine.”

“Austria. We went once when I was a kid, but my memory is really hazy. I would like to be able to go back and actually appreciate it.” Ben replies. “What about you?”

“It’s going to sound silly.”

“Unless you say something dumb like Wyoming, it won’t be silly,” Ben assures her.

“What do you have against Wyoming?” Rey laughs.

“There is absolutely nothing there. Wyoming is a pointless state. In college once, my roommate and I looked up fun facts about Wyoming because we couldn’t think of any. We found a list of fifty and couldn’t believe that someone managed to find fifty.”

“Do you remember any of them?”

“You’re avoiding the question.” Ben accuses. “It won’t be silly, I promise.”

“Fine, I’ve always wanted to go to Disneyworld.”

“That’s not silly. It’s the happiest place on Earth after all.”

“Have you ever been?” Rey perks up.

“A couple times. Mom and Luke did some touring shows, and whenever they had a performance in Orlando, I got to go to Disneyworld. Dad would come, too, it was nice.”

“It sounds like it. Who is your favorite Disney princess?”

“Either Mulan or Belle. You?”

“When I was a kid I always loved Cinderella, now…hm…probably Belle.” _This is nice_ , Rey decides. This simple comradery that’s forming between them. Nice, unexpected, and honestly a little alarming considering she was ready to rip his throat out just a few hours ago. She wouldn’t classify them as friends yet, but they’re more than acquaintances. She doesn’t know what the Hell they are, but they’re certainly something.

The questions continue, never delving too deep into anything too personal. She even manages to make him laugh a little, which she was unaware he was capable of doing.

“Well, because I don’t hate you anymore, I should probably warn you about the supply closet.”

“That is the most ominous sentence that anyone has ever said to me.” Ben raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but it’s going to happen. So, you know Poe and Hux are inexplicably dating?” He nods. “We don’t know how or why either. Well, they use the supply closet for _things_. You’ll hear it. It’s impossible not to hear it. Finn used to think that the supply closet was haunted.”

“Oh my god.”

“You’ll have to ask him to tell you the story sometime, he can tell it better than I can.”

“You think he’d tell me?” Ben breaks their eye contact to look at his hands.

“I’ll talk to him and Rose and some of the others. I won’t tell them everything, but I’ll get them to understand at least somewhat.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ve been thinking about my question from the garage,” Ben admits.

“Oh?”

“I think that I’ve decided what I want to ask you, but I’m not sure if I want to hear your answer.”

“What could you possibly ask that-”

Then Luke decides to bust in, breaking their strange little world inside this room with the reality of the fact that they’ve been locked in here for God knows how long. “Alright, neither of you are dead, and you’re both fully dressed. Good. You’ve been in here for almost two hours.”

“Two hours?!” The young adults both exclaim.

“Yeah, we all just kind of assumed that one or both of you were dead or you were doing something that would scandalize the teenagers. Come on, we’ve already wasted enough time.” Luke about-faces and marches out the door.

“What was it you were going to ask?” Rey asks, pink-cheeked and struggling to find her voice after Luke’s comments.

“I’ll ask you later.” Ben waves a hand, equally red-faced before following his uncle.

Everyone claps when they enter the theater, Poe whistles. Leia approaches the pair, arms crossed and being the epitome of a mom™. “Well, are you two ready to start acting like adults?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now that I've got three WIPs+college, I'm going to be updating one fanfic a week and rotate them. Yes, I really hate Wyoming. I've never been there, but Wyoming sucks. Yes, I was eleven-year-old Mary with a worthless eleven-year-old Joseph and a crying baby. I just need everyone to know about those camel costumes.


	9. The Plan Became Perfect as Plan Could be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some progress can finally be made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an ancient through medieval art midterm tomorrow that I've barely studied for. Yet, here I am, posting Reylo modern AU fanfiction at like eight o'clock on a Wednesday.

“So, we have some good news,” Leia announces. “Next weekend is when you will all start learning the dances, our friend, Maz Kanata, who was a professional choreographer will be teaching you. We also-yes, Alex?”

“Do we have to wear anything specific for the dancing?”

“If you want to wear a long skirt, that probably wouldn’t be a bad idea since you’ll have to get used to dancing in one anyways, but you don’t have to. Just wear something comfortable.” Luke supplies.

“As I was saying, we have also found someone willing to be Sir Lucas. An old friend of Han’s is coming and offered to fill the role.”

“Who?” Ben asks before he can stop himself while also knowing very well who it probably is.

“Lando Calrissian,” Ben swears under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” Rey asks.

“Long story.”

“It seems like everything is a long story with you.”

“That’s because it is,” Ben whispers back.

“Han and Chewy met Lando long before Luke and I met them. He’s…he’s something.” Leia side-eyes her son and Rey. “He’s a lot.”

“Understatement of the century.” Ben mumbles.

“He can’t be that bad.”

“He’s going to flirt with mom the entire time…and Luke…and probably you…and literally everyone else.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Ben’s mouth thins to a line.

-oOo-

“You know, maybe we should’ve let you two be angry at each other for another day.” Luke leans back in his chair, studying his nephew and the young woman next to him.

“What?” Rey snaps.

“Well, it would’ve been great to see you two blow up at each other during this scene.” Luke shrugs. “But now you two have decided to become all buddy-buddy.”

“Maybe that’s just what happens when you lock two people in a room for a couple of hours.” Ben rolls his eyes.

“Oh, so we just need to lock everyone in a room with Hux for a couple hours each? Will that work?”

“There are some people that are just beyond hope,” Rey replies. Hux doesn’t even acknowledge the conversation, likely because he knows its true and likes it that way. Again, Ben is 90% sure that black magic is involved in his relationship with Poe.

“Alright, let’s get this started.” Leia rolls her eyes. “Rey, you’re going to start sitting in the chair. Ben, you will enter from stage right. Rey, make sure that you’re sitting comfortably, we don’t have Jane’s letters yet, but you’ll be reading those, remember, you’re supposed to be completely alone in the house. There will be a doorbell sound, Rey you look surprised, then Ben enters, bows, and asks about your health. You rise, curtsy, answer, and then you’ll stop.”

“Miss Elizabeth-” Ben bows “-I do apologize for disturbing you, I came to inquire as to how you’re feeling. I do hope that you are better.”

“I am.” Rey curtsies slightly.

“Good…good.”

“Alright, then you both sit down, after a few seconds, Ben you get up again, walk around awkwardly for a little while, then turn back to her and you can begin the proposal. Just make it as awkward as you can, this is not a romantic scene.”

They do as they’re told, not that they have to work too hard to make things awkward. They may have gotten to know each other a little bit better, but that doesn’t mean they’re entirely comfortable yet. Rey stares determinedly at one of the stage lights, about as far from him as she can look without having to turn her body.

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Ben begins, staring her down. He continues with the proposal, standing awkwardly as she sits, first wide-eyed and then glaring.

“Rey, you’re going to say your first part about how you should stay seated, don’t stand until your second reply.”

“In such cases as this, it is, I believe, the established mode to express a sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed, however unequally they may be returned. It is natural that obligation should be felt, and if I could feel gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannot—I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly. I am sorry to have occasioned pain to anyone. It has been most unconsciously done, however, and I hope will be of short duration. The feelings which, you tell me, have long prevented the acknowledgment of your regard, can have little difficulty in overcoming it after this explanation.” Rey reads.

“And this is all the reply which I am to have the honour of expecting! I might, perhaps, wish to be informed why, with so little endeavour at civility, I am thus rejected. But it is of small importance.”

 

“I might as well inquire,” Rey stands and continues with her rejection. Until finally, “Can you deny that you have done it?”

 “I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Towards him, I have been kinder than towards myself.”

“But it is not merely this affair,” she continues, “on which my dislike is founded. Long before it had taken place my opinion of you was decided. Your character was unfolded in the recital which I received many months ago from Mr. Wickham. On this subject, what can you have to say? In what imaginary act of friendship can you here defend yourself? or under what misrepresentation can you here impose upon others?”

“You take an eager interest in that gentleman's concerns,” Ben’s face starts turning red, and Rey wonders how long it took him to learn how to do that so well on command.

“Who that knows what his misfortunes have been, can help feeling an interest in him?” Rey cries.

-oOo-

Rey isn’t confused by much, but Ben Solo baffles her. Her eyes follow him as he moves some things around the stage for his mother. Most everyone else has gone home, the only scenes they had time for only had Ben and Rey. There wasn’t much of a point in everyone else staying.

“You know what, let’s call it a night,” Luke announces. “I’m tired.”

“Fine,” Leia sighs, “you two are fine, we don’t have to worry about you being able to memorize the script.”

“Okay,” Rey replies, hopping off the edge of the stage.

“Ben, you can go ahead and take the car, I’ll make Luke drive me home. There’s a couple things that we need to do before we close up for the night.”

“Alright.” Rey’s already halfway to the door by the time Ben catches up with her with his tree legs. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Are…are you free anytime this week?”

“Uh, I get off at six. Why?”

“I was- uh- I was wondering if you had time to work on the proposal scene some more other than here, quit wasting everyone else’s time with one scene that no one else is in.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.”

“So, do you?”

“Oh! Uh, well, I work for your dad, so surely I do.”

“Okay, so where should we meet? Your place? My parents’ place? Somewhere else?”

“We should probably do it at your place, that way if we have issues, Leia is right there. You also could just come by the shop. We wouldn’t begrudge the help.” Rey’s mind starts to wander to an image of him in a greasy t-shirt with his hair pushed out of his face and oil on his hands and arms. _Where did that come from?_

“No, I have the very important job of getting things from high places that mom is too proud to ask dad for help with.”

“That is very important.” Rey cracks a smile.

“Oh and carrying heavy things around. Half the time I don’t even think she needs these things, she just wants to give me something to do so I’ll shut up about having nothing to do.” Ben holds the door to outside open for her.

“You do seem very whiny.” She agrees.

“Have you met my uncle? I can’t be any worse than him.”

“Well, if you ever get bored of carrying heavy things around, you should come by the shop. It’s summer, so we have more cars coming through and could probably use another set of hands.”

“I’ll have to think about it.” Ben shrugs. “I’m not sure how long I can stand being there for.”

“Well, this is me.” Rey stops next to her 2013 silver Camry. “So, when do you want me to come over? If it’s right after work, I’ll be covered in various oils and greases and fluids. So, like six-thirty would probably be better.”

“Okay, I’m free whenever. Carrying things around and getting things from high places has very flexible hours.”

“How about Tuesday?” That’s generally a slower day at the shop, so she should be able to get away sooner.

“Works for me.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you on Tuesday around six-thirty.”

“See you then.” Ben nods.

“Bye.”

“Bye.” Rey watches him as he retreats to his car before quickly getting into her own once she realizes that she was staring. Starting her car, she finds herself watching him again, this contradiction of a man.

“Damnit, I forgot to ask about the question.”


	10. Sir William Lucas Appeared Close to Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has a not-date with Ben Solo, and Uncle Wanwo makes an appearance.

“I won’t be back ‘til late tonight,” Rey informs her roommates over their supposedly-healthy cereal.

“Hot date?” Finn teases. Rey hasn’t been on a date as long as he’s known her, always more concerned with working on something or making sure that there was food on the table.

“If you consider working with Ben Solo on the first proposal scene at his parents’ house after work a hot date, then sure,” Rey shrugs.

“Well, I certainly consider it hot.” Rose declares. “Though, his parents do ruin the date bit a little.”

“It’s not a date.”

“I thought that you wanted to rip his throat out,” Finn states, arms crossed.

“I did.”

“What happened?”

“I got to know him better.” Rey stares at the mostly-empty bowl, deciding that it may not be appropriate for her to drink the sugary milk left in the bottom with the somewhat-serious subject matter. “He’s not what we thought.”

“What do you mean? What happened? What did he tell you?”

“I can’t tell you.” Rey murmurs.

“Why not?” Rose asks.

“It’s not my place to tell anyone. He trusted me, I can’t betray that.”

“Rey-”

“Look, I can’t tell you, just…know that he’s not what he seems. He’s been through a lot that’s made him this way. That’s something that we should all understand.” Finn and Rose look back down at their breakfasts, knowing damn well that she’s right. “Oh, and Finn, you have to tell him about the haunted supply closet.”

“Oh, fuck you, Jakku.”

-oOo-

“Oh, Rey, how are you?” Leia smiles, answering the door.

“I’m good, is Ben here?”

“I had to send him to the store, he’ll be back in a few minutes. Come in, come in.” Leia ushers the young woman inside, taking her by the elbow and all but dragging her. “Are you hungry?”

“A little.” Rey shrugs.

“Well, dinner will be ready soon, that’s actually why I sent Ben to the store. I realized that we were out of parmesan a little late. We’re having shrimp scampi.”

“That sounds good.” Rey nods, she wasn’t expecting to be fed, but she certainly isn’t opposed to it.

“Hopefully it will be. Han’s gone to the airport to meet Lando. He’s not staying here, but Han decided to meet him; they haven’t seen each other in years. So, it’s just you, Ben, and me tonight. Han’s never been a fan of pasta that doesn’t have tomato sauce on it, so I have to take advantage of him being gone when I can.”

“Hmm.”

“Here, join me in the kitchen while we wait for Ben.” Leia leads Rey into the kitchen where a saucepan of shrimp and butter sauce simmers. “Ben told me that you to actually came to some understanding while you were alone. I’m glad, as a director, I know that you two being angry at each other could very well ruin the show. As a mother, I know that my son has difficulties with socializing and expressing himself. I know, it sounds ridiculous, he can express a million different characters but not himself, but it’s true. It’s a lot harder to express yourself, express the truth.”

“Leia…”

“I know, you understand that. I think that you two could get along famously if you wanted. You have a lot in common, I could tell that the day Han introduced you to me. I know, you think that I just say this because I must, what kind of mother speaks poorly of her child? But, I do believe it.” Leia stares at the saucepan, adding a cup of wine and continuing to stir it. “I guess Han and I are to blame for his…issues. We were not ready to have a child, we were barely adults ourselves, married less than six months when I found out that I was pregnant.

“We love him fiercely, always have, but we had no idea what we were doing. I was raised by nannies, sent off to school, Han’s parents died when he was a child. We had no real examples to follow. Sadly, Ben paid a price for that. Han was always working, he was in the military, you know, so he was generally off places. When he was home, he still had to work. I was always with Luke, working on some show or other and it would often go late into the night. We were never there when he needed us, we prioritized our work over our son. I thought that since I turned out alright being raised largely not by my parents that there would be no issues for Ben. I was wrong.”

“I don’t-”

“What I’m trying to say is thank you, Rey. Somehow, I don’t know how, honestly, I don’t really want to know how you convinced my son to actually talk to me. Just me, not Han, and it wasn’t much, but it’s a start.” Leia turns from the stove and wraps her arms around the younger woman.

“Mom? Rey?” Ben calls.

“Let’s not tell him about this, not now,” Leia whispers quickly. “We’re in the kitchen!”

“I got the parmesan.” He takes the block of cheese out of the bag as he enters, handing it to his mother.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Leia takes the block and lightly touches his cheek with her hand. “You need to shave.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“Well, you do.” Leia turns back to the stove, stirring it once again. “You two go wash your hands, dinner will be ready in a minute.”

-oOo-

“Little Starfighter!” Rey’s head snaps around, startled by the loud voice. Ben stands and walks over to the man. “Well, not very little anymore, are you?”

“No, not really.” The older man, Lando, Rey assumes, wraps his arms around Ben and pats him on the back.

“You need to come by Bespin sometime, it’s been too long since I’ve seen you.” Lando pulls back, resting his hands on Ben’s elbows. He’s an elegant man with a dark wine-colored shirt tucked into black pants and a cane that she’s pretty sure is more for show than actual need. Even in his advanced age, it’s easy to see that he was handsome when he was young and charming no doubt.

“I have shows.”

“You don’t right now.”

“I have my mother.”

“That’s fair. And what do we have here?” Lando finally catches sight of Rey on the couch. “You must be Rey Jakku.”

“Yes, sir.” Rey stands and offers him her hand.

“I’m Lando Calrissian, an old friend of Han’s. He told me quite a bit about you on the drive over, all good things I assure you.” He takes her hand and presses his lips to her knuckles. Alright, Rey understands what Ben was so hesitant about. “Well, you certainly have the accent for Elizabeth. What part of England are you from?”

“You won’t have heard of it.”

“Lando, let them be, they’re working on a scene,” Leia calls from another room.

“Oh, alright, you’re right. You two have fun now.” He winks at them before exiting the room. “Maybe not too much fun, though, I don’t think I’m quite ready to be a great-uncle just yet.”

Neither of them knows how to react to that, which was certainly Lando’s intention. He just laughs at them and leaves the room. “Ben?”

“Yeah?” His voice is pained.

“I get it now.”

“Yeah.” He sighs. “Agree to never speak of this again?”

“Agreed.”

“Good, we still need to get through this.” He turns back to the coffee table and sits on the loveseat.

“So, Little Starfighter, huh?” Rey’s face breaks into a grin.

“When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut.” Ben sighs, realizing that they’re probably not going to get anything else done tonight.

“Isn’t there a height limit on astronauts?”

“Yes, and I barely make it.”

“You checked to see if you were too tall to be an astronaut?” Her grin just continues to widen.

“I looked up fun facts about Wyoming once, of course, I checked to see if I’m too tall to be an astronaut.” He deadpans.

“I guess I don’t have room to judge, I’ve wasted hours of my life taking Buzzfeed quizzes.”

“Haven’t we all?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Happy late Halloween!  
> Lando is here!  
> For like the past month since I decided to bring Lando into the story, every time I've thought about it, my first thought is "Lando is coming" in a very ominous tone. I'm very excited for Lando to be in IX. I'm probably gonna cry, to be honest.


	11. The Food of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Food of Love is just food when Rey Jakku is involved.  
> Two people really know how to make an entrance, and two others seem to avoid returning.

Lando has been introducing himself to everyone for the past twenty minutes, apparently feeling the need to tell everyone his life story individually. He’s told the same joke at least five times, and it wasn’t funny, to begin with. It hasn’t been funny for as long as Ben’s been alive and probably longer.

“I’m curious, Mr. Calrissian-” Hux begins.

“Lando, please.” The older man smiles broadly. “Mr. Calrissian was my father.”

Ben audibly groans.

“Lando,” Hux says with an odd an odd amount of mirth, “I remember a few years ago hearing a thing or two about Ben in his younger years. I was wondering if you knew anything about that time that he hi-”

“That’s enough.” Rey’s voice startles Ben out of his blind panic. “That’s enough, Hux. We’ve got stuff to do.”

She turns and walks back towards her bag to grab her script before walking towards the stage. Leia quickly rushes forwards, ready to stop this from going any further. She’s never cared for Hux. No one has ever cared for Hux, but it’s difficult to get men to be in the show, so they have to take what they can get. Well, there’s Poe, Poe isn’t enough. “Rey’s right. Ben, Leah, Poe, Finn, Rose, and Gwen join Rey on stage.”

“Okay.” Ben grabs his script before all but sprinting to Rey. “Thank you.”

Rey just gives him a small smile in reply. He isn’t used to people standing up for him, generally, his stature and demeanor cause people to think he doesn’t need it.

“I’m serious, Rey.” He whispers, lightly brushing her arm with his hand. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Alright, so we’ve finished the first proposal, and this is the beginning of the second act. This is Darcy’s letter. Ben, you’re going to be waiting for Rey to show up facing stage left. Finn, Rose, Gwen, Poe, and Leah, you all need to be waiting offstage on stage left. Rey, you’re going to be entering from stage right…” Leia continues to give basic directions while Luke and everyone else sits in the audience. Luke is writing something, barely paying attention to what’s happening around him.

“Miss Elizabeth.”

“Mr. Darcy.”

“I have been walking in the grove some time in the hope of meeting you. Will you do me the honour of reading that letter?” Rey nods in reply. Ben bows before walking offstage.

“Rey-once he gets offstage, open the letter-mime opening the letter right now- and start reading. Ben, you’re just gonna turn right around and walk back onstage as soon as you start reading the letter. You’re basically just going to be talking to her, but she will still be looking at the letter.”

-oOo-

“You look tired,” Ben notes. They’re on an hour lunch break, most people are scattered around the stage, eating prepacked sandwiches or fast food their parents dropped off. Finn and Rose ran to get the three of their food, insisting that it took both of them to get Zaxby’s after they spoke to Ben’s mother. Ben is eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (with the crusts because he is an adult).

“I’m always tired.”

“Mood.” Sunny yells from across the stage.

“I’m tired of teenagers.” Rey groans.

“Mood.” Ben smiles only a little at Rey’s snort. He takes a deep breath before continuing, “I’ve been thinking about what you said about me going to help out in the shop.”

“Really?” She sits a little straighter, looking almost happy. _Why would she be happy? Oh right, less work with another set of hands._

“Yeah, I think I’ve finally gotten tired of reaching high stuff and carrying heavy things around.”

“Well, honestly, you’re probably still going to be doing those things. Chewy likes to put things up high. I’m pretty sure it’s just so that we have to ask him for help so he can feel needed.” His uncle Chewy is the tallest person that Ben has ever met. He’s like eight feet tall. When he was little, Ben always wanted to ride on his shoulders because he could see literally everything.

“Dad does the same thing at the house.”

“That would never work on Rose. I’ve seen her scale the fridge because she was too proud to ask Finn or me for help.” She laughs again, and Ben is pretty sure it’s the nicest thing he’s ever heard. “So, you’re going to help out?”

“Yeah.”

“Great, it’ll be fun.”

“Yes, now my mother will have to deal with not one but two men coming home every day covered in grease.”

“I don’t think she’ll mind too much.”

“I hope not.” There’s no greater threat than an angry Leia Organa.

“Where are Finn and Rose? It’s been twenty minutes.”

“You want one of my sandwiches?” Ben grabs a saranwrap PB&J.

“I couldn’t.”

“Take the sandwich.”

“I’m not taking your food!”

“It’s fine, I’ll take some of your fries when they get here if that makes you feel better.” He pushes the sandwich into her hands. His fingers brush against hers and he should _not_ be as affected by touching her _hand_ as he is.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, just eat the damn sandwich, Rey.”

“Language!” Everyone around them yells. Ben begrudgingly gets up to put a dollar in the jar at the front of the stage before sitting down next to Rey again. It’s nice, eating quietly with the chatter of their uh…peers around them. Maybe he’s getting better at this.

“BEN SOLO.” A voice booms through the auditorium causing Rey to physically jump. The small woman that the voice came from should _not_ be that loud. Maz Kanata is somehow even shorter than Leia, wears glasses as large as her face, and is as old as time. Ben is 100% sure that she walked amongst the dinosaurs-in fact he’s pretty sure that she hunted them with her bare hands.

“Shit.” Ben places his food on the ground and rises. “Hi, Maz.”

“Get down here and help an old woman, Benjamin.” She orders. “Stairs are hard when you’re as old as me.”

“It’s Ben, Maz. The only person who calls me Benjamin is mom when she’s mad at me.” He reminds her.

“Benjamin,” Maz repeats, taking his hand as he leads her up the steps onto the stage. “Alright, which one is she?”

Ben makes a motion towards Rey, beckoning her to stand up. “Maz, this is Rey Jakku, she’s playing Elizabeth.”

“Hm…” Maz studies Rey, walking around her and scrutinizing the young woman.

“I’m sorry,” Ben mouths silently at Rey. She looks ready to crawl out of her skin.

“You will do well,” Maz concludes. “Where are Jane and Bingley?”

“Rose and Finn are grabbing lunch. They should be back soon.” Rey explains. _Wait, where are they?_

“Ah. I apologize for interrupting your lunch, you’re all going to need your energy once I get a hold of you.” Maz’s eyes glint evilly. “Now, Benjamin, help me down.”

“Your family has very interesting friends,” Rey informs Ben as soon as he sits next to her again, picking at the sandwich he gave her.

“And you’ve only met a few of them.” He grumbles. “You haven’t met Ackbar.”

“Who’s he?”

“You don’t want to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leia is scheming.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta, sunnystarwars. Yes, Sunny in this story is her.  
> You can find me on Tumblr at https://pride-and-prejudice-in-space.tumblr.com/


End file.
